Projects archive - year 2009

Migration in the Slovak republic after the entry into the EU (2004-2008)

Co-operation on the IOM project

Donor: European Fund for Integration of Third Countries Nationals

 

Realization of the project: IOM Bratislava  

 

Period: September - December 2009 

 

IOM Bratislava worked on the project "Migration in the Slovak republic after the entry into the EU (2004-2008) - analysis of migration trends and public attitudes toward issues of migration and integration of migrants".

 

The aim of the project has been to gather complex and updated information on developments, trends, and impacts of international migration after the entry of the Slovak republic into the EU.

 

Project has been divided into two research components. The first one, conducted by Dr. Boris Divínsky, was focused on legal and illegal migration, labor migration, emigration and naturalization within the period 2004 - 2008. The second one was run by the CVEK under the leadership of Dr. Michal Vašečka and was focused on realization of the representative public opinion survey "Attitudes of the public toward migrants and toward international migration". CVEK conducted also focus groups and semi-structured interviews in order to gather also qualitative information.

 

The result of the research, book Attitudes of Slovak public toward foreigners and foreign migration in Slovakia, can be downloaded here

High quality research - precondition for a succesful integration

Cooperation on the project of the Institute of Public Policy FSES, Comenius University

Donor: European Fund for Integration of Third Countries Nationals

 

    

Project realization: Institute of Public Policy, FSES UK  

 

Partner: Slovak Governance Institute 

 

Period: January - December 2009 

 

Project High quality research - precondition for a successful integration has been supported by the European Fund for Integration of Third Countries Nationals, part of the Program "Solidarity and Management of Migration Flows".

 

Main goal of the project was to increase quality of integration policies. Project aimed to compare integration policies in various countries of the EU; to prepare set of new indicators for evaluation of integration policies; to analyze particular bodies involved in integration policies; to analyze perception of migrants on integration policies; and to assess strengths and weaknesses of integration policies in Slovakia. 

 

In order to achieve goals of the project researchers conducted nine activities that were interconnected:
1. Comparative research of integration policies in other countries with a focus on managed migration;
2. Proposal of new indicators of integration policies in order to improve evaluation and further development of integration policies;

3. Analysis of activities of particular key-players within integration policies;
4. Qualitative research focused on experiences of legal migrants with integration in the Slovakia;
5. Analysis of integration level of particular groups of legal migrants;
6. Summary analysis of weak and strong dimensions of integration policies in Slovakia;
7. Research in the sphere of relevance and interconnections between integration policies and state policy in the sphere of social inclusion focused on autochtonous minorities and marginalized groups;
8. Publication with all research findings and with recommendations how to improve integration policies;
9. Seminar on research findings in the sphere of integration policy.

 

Altogether 16 authors has been working  on the final publication of the project "Integration of migrants - do we know what we want? Policies of integration in the Slovak republic in a comparative perspective": 

Zuzana Bargerová, 

Lucia Bezáková, 

Peter Brnula, 

Michal Cenker, 

Elena Gallová-Kriglerová,

Alena Chudžíková,

Marek Harakaľ, 

Daniela Jankelová,

Judit Kontseková, 

Ctibor Košťál, 

Ľudmila Malíková, 

Juraj Mišina, 

Tereza Modráková, 

Alexandra Suchalová, 

Michal Vašečka, 

Robert Žitňanský.

The book has been published by the Institute of Public Policy of the Comenius University at the end of 2009, with a kind support of the European Fund for Integration of Third Countries Nationals.

Integration of children of third countries nationals into the educational system of Slovakia

Research of integration bariers

Donor: European Fund for Integration of Third Countries Nationals; part of the Program Solidarity and Managment of Migration Flows; Ministry of Interior of Slovakia 

 

Partner: Milan Šimečka Foundation

 

Period: April - December 2009 

 

Center for the Research of Ethnicity and Culture in partnership with Milan Šimečka Foundation conducted since April 2009 a project Integration of children of third countries nationals into the educational system of Slovakia. Project builds up on positive policies realized in education sphere in the process of integration of children of third countries nationals. At the same time, project enriches previous policies by innovative methods that aim to secure their successful integration into the society. 

 

The most important outcomes of the project:

1. Research of barriers of integration of these children into the education system;

2. Creation and experimental testing of innovative tools of integration;

3. Opening of a public discussion on problems of children of migrants in Slovakia;

4. Opening of a public discussion on needs of educational policies changes.

 

Set of practical policy recommendations for educational policies and integration tools aimed to be the result of the project. Outcomes of the project can help public policy makers to change and improve legislation in order to secure more effective integration of children from third countries. Results of the research can be utilized also by teachers in the form of manuals, techniques, and activities applied in the process of education within the classroom, school, and local community. 

 

Results of the research can be downloaded here

RAXEN 10

FRA network

Donor: European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) 

Period: January 2009 - December 2009  

Also during 2009 CVEK continued, together with an initiative People against Racism, to collect and analyze data on racism and xenophobia in Slovakia. Racism and Xenophobia European Information Network (RAXEN) was established by European Monitoring Center of Racism and Xenophobia (EUMC) that was changed into the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) in 2007. The main objective of FRA is to offer broad audience in the EU-25 objective, reliable and comparable data on issues of racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism in the territory of member states and to contribute to formulation of effective measures designed to fight racism, xenophobia and anti-Semitism.

 

RAXEN Network consists of 25 national groups, one group operating in each member state. National groups are partners of FRA providing needed information and data on national level. Center for Research of Ethnicity and Culture together with People Against Racism form national group for Slovakia. Particular national groups carry out different tasks specified by FRA, collect information and statistical data about various activities in the area of fight against racism and xenophobia, work out general (general situation in the country) as well as specific reports (employment, education, housing, etc.).

 

On June, 10, 2010 European Agency for Fundamental Rights released FRA Annual Report on Fundamental Rights in 2009 that CVEK collaborated on. The complete report is available here 

Summer School V4 - 8th Edition (2009)

June 28 - July 11, 2009

Partners: Willa Decius Association Krakow;

Asociace pro mezinárodní otázky Prague;

Foundation Cracovia Expres Krakow;

EuroRegio Ukraine Kyiv. 

 

Donor: International Visegrad Fund

 

 

Period: June 28 - July 11, 2009 

 

In 2009 CVEK co-organized again V4 Summer School at the Willa Decius in Krakow. The 8th edition of the Visegrad Summer School brought a two-week educational program which provided an interdisciplinary learning space for 47 young Czech, Hungarian, Polish and Slovak students, and for their peers from Ukraine, Romania, Russia, Kirgyzstan and Kosovo. The program consisted of lectures, panel debates and seminars on issues and challenges relevant to the Visegrad Group region, the European Union and beyond. School offered many opportunities to learn about each other and start an international co-operation between the people and the countries.

 

The program of the 8th edition of the Visegrad Summer School included debates on current political, cultural and social challenges in the global and European perspective, e.g. global economic crisis, Euro adoption, energy security, deficiencies of democracy, gender equality, gender sensitivity, or media development. Students applied the theoretical knowledge in practical activities. During workshops they developed political and social projects that aimed at establishing collaboration between them and their countries. Students took part in art projects as well – film and photo workshops. An important part of the cultural section were lectures on the culture - forming role of cities and a presentation of the cities competing for the title of the European Capital of Culture. On the weekend participants took part in study visits to Auschwitz-Birkenau and Kazimierz, the former Jewish district in Krakow. They also attended artistic events to learn about the culture of Cracow and visited the ethnographical museum of the Małopolska region.

 

Dr. Michal Vašečka lectured on the Summer School again, in 2009 on "Europeisation of civil society". 

 

Call for application here 

 

Application form here

 

Slovakia has been represented on the 8th edition of the Summer School by 10 participants:

Martina Horánska, ESF, Masaryk University, Brno
Nora Križanová, Central European University, Skalica 

Marta Latináková, Bates College, Lewiston ME 
Jarmila Mikušová,  BISLA, Bratislava
Zuzana Nemethová, FSES, Comenius University, Bratislava  
Zuzana Nováková, FSES, Comenius University, Bratislava

Ondrej Schütz, FSS, Masaryk University, Brno 

Viera Slováková, University of Economics, Bratislava 

Barbora Strapatá, University of Economics, Praha

Zuzana Tóthová, FSS, Masaryk Uversity, Brno 

 

Photo gallery from the Summer School here

Multiculturalism and Integration of New Minorities in Slovakia: Possibilities and Challenges

Theoretical and Empirical Contribution to the Discourse on Multiculturalism in Slovakia

Donor: Block grant for NGOs from the financial mechanism of the EHP, Norwegian financial mechanism, and from the state budget of the Slovak Republic

 

Period: September 2008 - August 2009

 

Since September 2008 CVEK worked on theoretical and empirical project focused on possibilities and conditions of multicultural theory application in the Slovak context. Deriving from the both multicultural theory and practice, project is based upon pilot research how to study, analyze, and understand new ethnic, religious, and race minorities in Slovakia.

 

The first, theoretical phase of the project, identifies potential and barriers of applying multiculturalism in the process of integration of new minorities (migrants). The second, empirical phase desires to test limits of integration and maps specificities of the Slovak context in the process of multicultural policies implementation. Methodology applied in the project allows CVEK to identify expectations of members of new minorities in the process of integration into the institutions of majority.

 

Project attempted to enrich existing researchers in this field and proposes a complex theoretical-empirical model of the further research of the issue. Research brought new data on minorities and contributed to the process of further public policy formation in the field of new minorities integration. 

 

Conclusion of research findings can be downloaded here

 

 

 

Research project Roma and special education in Slovakia

An international research project carried out on a representative sample of 100 schools

Partner: Roma Education Fund, Budapest

 

Period: June 2008 - August 2009                                               

 

 

The research has been carried out in co-operation with the Roma Education Fund. The purpose of this study was to analyze the overrepresentation of Roma in special education in Slovakia. Following a common structure and methodology developed by the Roma Education Fund in consultation with ERRC and EUMAP to produce comparable data from a set of three country studies (i.e., Czech Republic, Serbia, and Slovakia), this study consisted of two main parts.

 

The first part of the study addressed five research objectives common to all three country studies:

1. Estimating the number of Romani pupils enrolled in special education;

2. Mapping the educational options of Romani pupils from compact, segregated Romani settlements;

3. Comparing the standard and reduced curricula used in mainstream and special education, respectively;

4. Juxtaposing the opportunities for further education and employment accessible to graduates of special education with those available to graduates of mainstream education; and

5. Conducting a cost-effectiveness analysis comparing special and mainstream education from the standpoint of state expenditures

 

Whereas the first part of the study was structured in such a way as to maximize comparability across the three country studies, the study’s second part focused on features of the education system in Slovakia which distinguish it from its counterparts in the Czech Republic and Serbia. Topics addressed in the second part of the study included:

1. The structure of enrollment incentives offered to special schools and Romani parents;

2. The complex of institutions with a role in maintaining the status quo in relation to special education; and

3. The mechanisms used for assessment and reassessment of scholastic competence; as well as

4. Recommendations directed at reversing the overrepresentation of Roma in special education in Slovakia.

 

Final report can be downloaded in English here, in Slovak here.  

Antidiscrimination Training Academy

Project of Villa Decius and CVEK prepared for Polish NGOs

Partner: Willa Decius Krakow

 

Period: October 2008 - September 2009

 

Antidiscrimination Training Academy is a complex program for people working or cooperating with Polish NGOs that deal with the problem of human rights. The Academy included an intensive training in the field of human rights protection. The sessions of the Academy took place since October 2008 till September 2009 in form of conferences. Participants worked intensively in two groups: gender workshop and cultural sensitivity workshop. The Inauguration of the Academy took place on November 2008 (pictures from the Inauguration here). 

       
The Antidiscrimination Training Academy is an original complex program designed by the Villa Decius Association and CVEK for people working or cooperating with Polish NGOs. The Academy offers intensive training and presentations of the contemporary concepts and good practices in the field of human right protection. The offer is addressed mainly to the people working for NGOs active in the human rights field, but with a regard to the needs applicants from governmental and local government institutions that provide help for discriminated groups will be accepted too. Since October 2008 until September 2009 the first edition of the Academy has been organized with an aim to provide professional training for coaches and actual knowledge from the chosen issues in the field of human rights. Participants have been trained in two workgroups: gender and cultural sensitivity, which included also the problems of minorities. 

 

The course consisted of 10 intensive conferences lasting for several days, with 340 hours of education and 250 hours of training in coaching. After completing the series of workshops, lectures, discussions and practical assignments the participants worked in pairs on a program of their own diploma training and following that they leaded workshops in their own companies (June 2009). Experienced trainers, supervisors of the Academy, graded the work of the graduates and provided recommendations and notes for planning the next development. After the summer break students have met at an evaluation session where they received their diplomas (September 2009).

 

Program of the inauguration here.